Vehicle.



Patented June 9, 1914.

J. H. OOPPEY.

VEHICLE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 7, 1912.

JOSEPH H. COFFEY, 0F GASTONIA, NORTH CAROLINA.

VEHICLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 9, 1914.

Application filed August 7, 1912. Serial No. 713,832.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH H. Corner, a citizen of the United States, residing at Gastonia, in the county of Gaston and State of North Carolina, have invented new and useful Improvements in Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in vehicles, more particularly draft poles or shafts therefor.

The invention has for its object mainly to provide for effectively bracing or holding together the shaft-members and their uniting or connecting member or a draft-pole and its cross-bar.

A further object is to provide for effectively taking the strain off the securing bolts between the respective parts of the shaft or ole.

A still further object is to carry out the aforesaid ends in a simple, effective and inexpensive manner.

The nature of the invention consists of certain instrumentalities and features sub stantially as hereinafter fully disclosed and defined by the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawing, illustrating the preferred embodiment of my invention wherein it will be understood that various changes and modifications as to the detailed construction and arrangement of the constituent parts may be made without departing from the spirit thereof, Figures 1 and 2 are a plan view of the device, and an underside view thereof, respectively; Fig. 3 is a partly side view and a partly sectional view of the same, certain parts being broken away, the section being taken upon the line m-m of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detached perspective view of the T-member or casting effecting connection between the shaft-mombers and their connecting cross-bar or member, or a draft-pole and its inner-end cross or arcuate bar. Fig. 5 is an inverted perspective view of a channel-iron member for preferably receiving the head of the T-member or casting, and which channel-iron member is applied to the underside of each shaftmember or pole-member at its point of union with the transverse member.

In carrying out my invention 1 provide for suitably and effectively bracing or holding the shaft-members 1 and their connecting cross-bar or member 2 firmly or rigidly where they are usually tongued and mortised together, also for efiiecting a like bracing or holding action between a draft-pole and its transverse or arcuate bar or member, similarly connected together. Such bracing means, which is applied to each shaft or thill, includes preferably a channeln'on member 3 preferably rectangular in general outline, with opposed upwardly extending lugs 4 at one end adapted to embrace the thill or shaft laterally from its v underside as seen in Figs. 2 and 3, to guard against any lateral play of the member 3 which would otherwise result from the wearing of the bolt-holes, said lugs being somewhat tapered toward their upper corneredges, as well as along their upper edges to effectively take into or grip the shaft or thill. The channel-iron member 3 is secured or connected to the thill or shaftmcmber by means of bolts 5, preferably five being used, inserted, at suitable intervals apart, therethrough and through the thill or shaft and through the tongue or tenon of the shaft-connecting or cross-bar. The member 3 is formed preferably of channeliro-n, steel or malleable metal, because of its relatively greater strength. A T-member 6, also preferably of iron, steel or malleable metal is employed in connection with the channel-iron member 3 for each thill or shaft and the connecting cross-bar between the shafts, the head or cross of the T being received within the channel of said member and the stem or perpendicular member of the T being applied to said connecting cross bar, said stem having at its inner end opposed lugs 7 suitably tapered or beveled along their upper edges to suitably grip said cross-bar laterally, from below, similarly as results in the use of the lugs f and for like purpose as above set forth in connection with the latter. The head or cross of the T-member 6 is secured in position by means of a number of the securing bolts 5 used to secure the channel member 3 in place to the shaft or thill, the stem or perpendicular member of the T being secured in position to the underside of the connecting cross-bar by means of bolts 8, this T-metal member 6 thus uniting with the channel-member 3 to brace the shaft or thill and connecting crossbar firmly and rigidly from the underside thereof. These parts, the thills and their connecting cross-bar, are further or addition ally strengthened at their points of connection from the upperside by means preferably of flat metal plates 9 applied to the upper side of said parts, the same bolts or fastenings 8 and one of the bolts 5 being utilized to effect the securing of said plates 9 in place down upon said thills and connecting cross-bar. Also further bracing means are employed to strengthen or brace the shafts or thills and the connecting crossbar therebetween, at their points of connection laterally by means of rod or bolt like members or brackets 10, passed or inserted through the shafts or thills and secured thereto by nuts threaded upon said rods or bolts, the latter having Welded or brazed thereto plate-extensions 11, or the rod or bolt-like and plate portions of each of these braces may be a single piece, said rod or bolt-like portions being preferably curved or inclined laterally away from said platelike portions to provide an extended bracing or reinforcing action. The plate-like extensions 11 of the laterally bracing mem bers are suitably bolted or riveted, as at 12, to the transverse connecting member of the thills or shafts.

What is claimed is e A device of the type described including a vehicle-thill, a transverse member connected to said thill, a channel-iron member applied to said thill, upon its underside, a-

JOSEPH H. COFFEY.

lVitnesses C. C. GORNWELL, S. R. ABERNETHY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. O. 

